Tool for mutilating hypodermic syringes



May 2, 1957 J. YONCHAR 3,316,747

TOOL FOR MUTILATING HYPODERMIC SYRINGES Filed Jan. 25, 1965 l INVENTOR. JACK Yo/CHAR ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,316,747 TOOL FOR MUTILATING HYPODERMIC SYRINGES Jack Yonchar, 722 S. Muirfield Road, Los Angeles, Caiif. 90005 Filed Jan. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 427,643 7 Claims. (Cl. 72 332) This invention has to do with a tool designed for use in mutilating disposable instruments of the type intended to be used once and discarded, to prevent the reuse thereof, and more particularly has to do with an instrument iesigned to render a disposable hypodermic syringe useess.

In recent years the use of discardable hypodermic syringes has greatly increased to the point where drug firms now commonly sell various solutions prepackaged in disposable hypodermic syringes. The disposal of such syringes after use thereof presents a serious problem for doctors, hospitals, clinics and the like because of laws forbidding the disposal thereof without first rendering the needle and syringe useless. This normally requires severing or mutilation of both the needle and t-he syringe.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tool which can be readily used to mutilate a hypodermic syringe and render it useless. In this connection it is an object to provide an instrument or tool of the nature indicated which is designed to sever the needle, sever the neck of the syringe and deform the needle mounting fitting, all in one simple operation.

Another object is to provide an instrument of the type indicated of simple construction which is easy to operate and in which the parts of the hypodermic syringe will drop therefrom when the operation is completed and Without any tendency for the needle-severed portion of the needle to fly away.

These Iand other objects will be apparent from the drawing and the following description. Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of an instrument embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary inverted plan View on line 2 2 of FIG. 1, with a portion broken away;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the instrument as on line 3 3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the jaw portions of the tool as viewed from the side opposite to that shown in FIG. 1, with the tool partially closed;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view on line 5 5 of FIG. 4 with portions broken away;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 6 6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional View on line 7 7 of FIG. 5.

More particularly describing the invention, the tool shown in the drawing comprises a pair of levers, designated 11 and 12, respectively, which are pivotally connected at their inner ends by means of a suitable pin 13 and resiliently urged apart by a coil spring 14 therebetween, although a leaf spring might be used in place thereof. The levers have handle sections 15 and 16. The upper lever 11 has a solid section 16 through which the pin 13 extends, while the lower lever 12 is bifurcated at its inner end to provide two laterally spaced walls 18 and through which the aforementioned pin 13 extends. The levers `together define a large, substantially rectangular opening 17 in the front of the instrument.

The two walls 18 and 20 of the lower lever are apertured, wall 18 having a relatively small hole 21 and wall 20 having a relatively large hole 22. These holes are in registration and suitably sized to receive the hypodermic syringe S to the position in which it is shown in FIG. 5.

3,316,747 Patented May 2, 1967 rice Thus it will be seen that the small hole 21 receives the needle 24 of the syringe, the needle projecting through and beyond the hole, while the larger hole 22 receives the neck 25 of the syringe and accommodates the needle mounting fitting 26 when the syringe is inserted.

The upper lever 11 is formed to prov-ide a blade 28 which is just inside of Wall 20 of the lower lever and acts, when the levers are brought together at their outer ends, to sever the neck of the syringe projecting through hole 22.

The upper lever 11 is provided Wit-h a second somewhat thicker blade, designated 30, parallel to the iirst blade which is adjacent the other wall 18 of the lower lever. This second blade is adapted to sever the needle of the syringe as the same projects through the small hole 21 in wall 18. Recesses 31 'and 32 are provided in t-he face 33 of the lower lever 12 to receive the blades 28 and 30, respectively.

With the construction -thus far outlined, it will be apparent that with the hypodermic syringe inserted in the Iholes of the lower lever to the position shown in FIG. 5 a person may readily sever the neck 4of the syringe, and sever the needle by grasping the two levers and pressing them together with the hand. Without `any further structure the severed end portion of the needle would, in all probability, fly out from the tool in an undesired manner. To avoid this, I provide a needle retaining spring wire 35. This has an end 36 mounted in a hole 37 in wall 18 of lever 12. The other end, 38, is mounted in a hole 39 of the other lever. Between its ends the spring wire curves in a manner to engage the side of a needle projecting through hole 21 as the levers 11 and 12 are moved together.

For the purpose of mutilating the needle mounting tting 26 of the syringe, I provide a jaw section 40-on the upper lever 11 inwardly of the rst blade 28 and when the levers are moved together this jaw serves t-o partially crush the fitting against an opposing jaw surface 41 of the lower lever.

If desired, I may also provide a leaf spring 42 for ejecting the portions of the syringe which remain between the two walls 18 and 20 of the device after the severing operation has been completed. This spring is attached to the surface 43 of lever 11 and is generally L-shaped for the purpose desired.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred form of my invention, I contemplate that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A tool for rendering disposable hypodermic syringes useless, comprising a pair of levers pivotally connected at their inner ends and free at their outer ends, means limiting pivotal movement of the levers, one of said levers being bifurcated at its inner end providing two laterally spaced side walls extending normal to the pivotal axis of the levers, said side walls being apertured on a common axis with a 4relatively large hole in one side wall and a relatively small hole in t-he other side wall, said holes being adapted to accommodate a hypodermic syringe initially inserted through the large hole with the needle thereof extending through said small ihole and the neck of the syringe received in said large hole, a first blade formed as part of the other lever positioned to sever the neck of a hypodermic syringe projecting through said large hole when the levers are pivoted toward each other, and a second blade formed as a part of said other lever positioned to sever the needle of the hypodermic syringe projecting through said large hole.

2. The tool set forth in claim 1 in which said levers are provided with Iopposed jaws between said side walls 3 adjacent but inwardly of the wall having said large hole adapted to partially crush the conventional needle adapter fitting of the hypodermic syringe positioned therebetween.

3. The tool set forth in claim 1 which means is provided on one of said levers for releasably holding the severed portion of the needle during severing thereof.

4. A tool for rendering disposable hypodermic syringes useless, comprising a pair of levers pivotally connected at their inner ends and free at their outer ends, means limiting pivotal movement of the levers, one of said levers providing two laterally spaced sections adjacent and extending normal to the pivotal axis of the levers, said sections being apertured on a common axis to provide two springe-receiving holes adapted to accommodate a hypodermic syringe initially inserted through one hole with the needle thereof extending through the other hole and the neck of the syringe received in said one hole, severing means formed as part of the other lever positioned to sever the neck of a hypodermic syringe projecting through said one hole when the levers are pivoted toward each other and to sever the needle of the hypodermic syringe projecting t-hrough said other hole.

5. The tool set forth in claim 4 in which said levers are provided with -opposed jaws adjacent ybut inwardly of said sections adapted to partially crush the adapter fitting of a syringe positioned therebetween.

6. The tool set forth in claim 4 in which means is provided on one of said levers for releasably iholding the severed portion of the needle during severing thereof.

7. The tool set forth in claim 4 in which an ejection spring is mounted on one lever in position to eject the portion of the syringe between said sections upon return movement of said levers from severing position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,812,676 11/1957 Brown 72--409 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

R. D. GREFE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TOOL FOR RENDERING DISPOSABLE HYPODERMIC SYRINGES USELESS, COMPRISING A PAIR OF LEVERS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT THEIR INNER ENDS AND FREE AT THEIR OUTER ENDS, MEANS LIMITING PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE LEVERS, ONE OF SAID LEVERS BEING BIFURCATED AT ITS INNER END PROVIDING TWO LATERALLY SPACED SIDE WALLS EXTENDING NORMAL TO THE PIVOTAL AXIS OF THE LEVERS, SAID SIDE WALLS BEING APERTURED ON A COMMON AXIS WITH A RELATIVELY LARGE HOLE IN ONE SIDE WALL AND A RELATIVELY SMALL HOLE IN THE OTHER SIDE WALL, SAID HOLES BEING ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE A HYPODERMIC SYRINGE INITIALLY INSERTED THROUGH THE LARGE HOLE WITH THE NEEDLE THEREOF EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SMALL HOLE AND THE NECK OF THE SYRINGE RECEIVED IN SAID LARGE HOLE, A FIRST BLADE FORMED AS PART OF THE OTHER LEVER POSITIONED TO SEVER THE NECK OF A HYPODERMIC SYRINGE PROJECTING THROUGH SAID LARGE HOLE WHEN THE LEVERS ARE PIVOTED TOWARD EACH OTHER, AND A SECOND BLADE FORMED AS A PART OF SAID OTHER LEVER POSITIONED TO SEVER THE NEEDLE OF THE HYPODERMIC SYRINGE PROJECTING THROUGH SAID LARGE HOLE. 